Countdown
by Rex Regum
Summary: The final countdown that decided it all. The truth revealed. An overly dramatic summary. Neku's survived through three weeks - But will his mind survive the end? SPOILERS for the end of the game.


Neku stood, panting in front of the twice-defeated Megumi. This time, he was down for good. Joshua had appeared and Shiki and Beat were behind him. He stood on the onyx floor on the Room of Reckoning... An impossibly tall trone standing in the background with light showering down from places of infinite distance... The truth unfolding in front of him. His second player pin in his hand - The one that had saved him.

"Neku... It's all up to you now." The Conductor said, a sad laugh fading. The timer on his hand ticked down, ghostly numbers changing.

"Joshua..?" Neku inquired nervously. The numbers hit zero. There was a bright flash as the Conductor was Erased. "Joshua? What's going on?" He asked, dazed by the precedings.

Joshua giggled, the annoying sound resonating through Neku's ears. But he had accepted that. Kiryu Yoshiya, the insufferable b****** he was, was his friend. He had accepted him, with all his strengths and faults, and most of all he trusted him. Trusted him to have his back, to protect him, to help him.

"All of this was a Game.." Joshua said with a smirk. Neku blinked, even more confused. "One set up by me." He added, twisting his hair around his finger.

"But..." Neku stammered, the pieces locking into place. "That means that -" He blurted, the revelation clear in his mind.

"Let's make it obvious." Joshua said with a sigh. His eyes flashed, plotting in an instance. "I suppose they'll serve." He shrugged, glancing over at Shiki and Beat.

"What's happening!' Shiki exclaimed, locked in the middle of a awkward gesture.

"I.. I-I can't move, yo!" Beat exclaimed, stuck in a splastic position.

"Shiki? Beat?" Neku called worriedly, looking over his shoulder. All of this is impossible... But you don't dream in the UG...

Joshua giggled and Neku's gaze snapped back to his partner.

"It was me, Neku. I'm Shibuya's Composer." Joshua announced dramatically.

"But... But that's... That can't be..." Neku stammered. Everything came cascading around him, confusion ravaging his brain. But he knew what was going on. Somewhere, he knew.

"I know that must unsettle you. Especially since we spent all that quality time together." Joshua's voice had a drop of sarcasm in it. Even now he was still snarky. "Still, it's the truth, and I need you to face it." Joshua continued. "Megumi and I decided to play this Game to determine if Shibuya should exist or not." He concluded.

"Then..." Neku muttered. "Everything I've done..." He said, louder. "All of it.." His voice rose, faltering as he said the words.

"Mhm-hmm." Joshua confirmed, still twirling his hair. "You were playing for my team."

_I did it..._

"Really, you did a bang-up job." Joshua commented. He sounded like he was talking to a kid trying to impress him.

_I'm the one that..._

"I couldn't have done it without you." Joshua smirked.

_I..._

"Then what have I done?" Neku demanded, his voice ragged.

"I had one role in this game." Joshua continued, acknowledging his question. "Picking the Player who would play for me." He stopped, taking his finger out of his hair. "One boy... From the RG." Again, a smirk.

Neku's voice was hardly even a whisper.

"...Me?"

"Very sharp, Neku!" Joshua said, applauding teastingly. "Give yourself a hand." He said, continuing on with the facade. "I knew I picked a winner."

"But it was Pi-Face that killed me.." Neku interjected, holding onto that one last shred of hope about his partner.

"His bullet was meant for me." Joshua corrected. "For some time now he's been after my seat.

Maybe he thought I could be killed in the RG-a gross miscalculation." He smirked again. "The

Composer, unlike the Reapers, can use some of his power in the living world. So,

poor Minamimoto failed, and fled back to the UG." He explained. "But I like keep him around. He

knows how to heat up a Game! Unfortunately, he overheated this time, so I had to

retire him early. Couldn't have him spoiling the climax!" He said, sarcasm in his voice as he melodramatically informed Neku.

"Then you're the one that beat him?" Neku asked, remembering the mounds of smashed objects over his body.

"Why, yes!" Joshua said with fake appreciation. "You're just sharp as a tack, Neku." He said, sarcasm evident in his voice again. "Anyway, the pest followed me everywhere.." Joshua said, a growl underlying his voice. "Even into the RG when I went to get you!" He exclaimed, his voice returning to his facade.

"Into the RG?" Neku mused. And that last shred of hope tore. "No..." He exclaimed as another shard of the truth fell into place.

"Why don't I return those memories I've been holding onto, Neku?" Joshua waved his hand, a silver lining of a feather glimmering.

Neku screamed as his mind tore itself open before the complete memory fell into place.

* * *

><p>Neku trudged over to the mural in Udagawa, school having recently finished. His headphones played music softly as he walked past the light crowd in the district. He came up to the wall of vibrant colours. It always made him feel so... Understood. He didn't need everyone else's morals, their values pressed onto him. He was him... And he would live life his own way. He grinned as his hand traced the smooth lines in the paint. CAT was amazing... Exactly who he would look up to. He caught something moving in the corner of his eye. A silver-haired teenager in a grey dress shirt, moving incredibly fast. He turned to see who he was as he sprinted up in his direction. In his hand was...<strong> A gun!<strong> Neku jerked back from the wall as Joshua ran up to him, the gun in his hands... Time slowed down as Joshua approached him. Neku couldn't focus on anything, Joshua's image in his eyes... He closed his eyes, flinching. A gunshot rang out and Neku's eyes were thrown open. He felt numb all over, a smoking barrel staring him in the face. Neku's legs gave way. He fell to his knees before crumpling. He was sprawled out on the weathered concrete floor of the Udagawa back streets... Still alive. Staring at the gun, the barrel smoking in Joshua's hands.

"I blew it!" A voice cursed behind Neku.

"What?" Neku explained, spinning around to look. The grey-haired, black-clothed man held a gun in his hand, his arm stinging from the recoil. Neku was watching him for a second as he raised his gun in one, swift action. Their eyes met for a just an instant. Neku jumped to his feet, adrenaline soaring through his blood as Sho aimed a gun at him. Neku crossed his arms over his head to cover himself as he braced for the bullet. He closed his eyes as the gunshot rang out. He heard a soft hum in his ears as a more gunshots rang out, one after the other in a frenzied shooting. Neku watched as the bullets flew right past him and stopped with a blue erruption of the energy resonating out in soft waves. The others were stopped too, a smirking Joshua twirling his hair. He started to walk towards Pi-Face, the bullets falling to the ground. The two men held guns to each other. Their eyes dueled for a moment, Neku ducking out of the way. Then Pi-Face blinked and ran away, fleeing as fast as he could, holding his injured arm. Neku watched him leave incredulously. Joshua stood less than a metre away of Neku, the gun still in his hands. Neku was staring at where Pi-Face was just moments ago as Joshua raised the gun, aiming at Neku. Neku flinched as another bullet was shot. This time, Neku could feel the pain. It tore through his skin, cutting through his body. The pain was intense, consuming him as his body was thrown back by the sheer body of the bullet slamming into his thin body. He hit the ground with a thud. Joshua unclenched his fist and threw something into the air. A round black badge flipped through the air before smacking Neku's chest, blood seeping under it as the white skull-like icon stared into the sky. Sprawled out on the Udagawa backstreets, blood seeping through his clothes, a fine mist splattering the area... The CAT mural had been bloodied and the skeletal graffiti stared down at Neku, the hood over it's face as Neku's idol's creation stared down at him. There was a flash of light and it all faded away.

* * *

><p>Neku was on all fours, panting. He clutched his chest, clawing at his clothing frantically. There was no wound... The player pin that had been given to him was with his other pins...<p>

"It.." Neku gasped, trying to get his breath back. "It was you!" He shouted, standing up shakily. "I finally thought..." He said, panting, his voice breaking. "I finally thought I had found a friend..." He shouted, tears coming to his eyes. His throat was dry. "A friend that I could relate to!" Neku shouted. His world collapsed around him, but it didn't matter. He didn't care about that...

Joshua simply giggled. "There, there, Neku." He said in fake sympathy. "Now, how about we play one last game?" He proposed.

"_You tricked me..._" Neku rasped.

""The winner gets to be the Composer, and do whatever he likes with Shibuya. If you win, you decide. If I win, I'll decide. ...Of course, I've already decided." Joshua continued.

"_You **betrayed** me..._ _You monster..._" He continued, his voice barely managing to hold up.

"Neku? You'd better pick up that gun. I mean, this IS going to be a duel. I'll keep the rules extremely basic. I'm going to count down from ten. On zero, we shoot. See? Easy." Joshua finished.

"Don't screw with me, Yoshiya!" Neku roared. "**Don't you f***ing screw with me!**" His rage quickly ended, tears streaking down his cheeks. He was utterly defeated, hunched over as he glared at the gun in front of him.

"I assure you, I'm not. Life's little crossroads are often as simple as the pull of a trigger." Joshua told him playfully.

Neku was silent, staring at the ground.

Joshua giggled again. "Neku, your face is priceless..." He teased. "Now, don't you remember what Mr. Hanekoma told you?" He said, wagging a finger.

_"I'm just..."_ Neku breathed.

"Oh, before I forget!" Joshua exclaimed suddenly. "I've collected your entry fee." He told him.

"Now... **Let the Game begin.**"

* * *

><p><strong>10<strong>

* * *

><p>Neku whipped up the gun in front of him, holding it in two hands. He levelled it with Joshua's head.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>9<strong>

* * *

><p>Neku remembered. The insufferable, intolerable snob that was Joshua. As annoying as he was, Joshua was reliable. He could trust him. They fought together against countless Noise, Reapers... Defended each other as the Taboo Noise ambushed them... Traded around that puck as they worked together. They trusted each other with what was left of their lives. It was their only chance to get back to the RG. 'Trust Your Partner'. That was the key to winning the game. And Neku did.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>8<strong>

* * *

><p>Joshua had helped him to win the game. Without him he wouldn't be here. He wouldn't have survived long enough to meet with Beat, to have a chance to save Shiki. He had introduced him to Mr. H's real identity. He introduced him to CAT. Without him Neku couldn't have won the game and Neku needed Joshua in that second week. Joshua had taken a bullet for him. He had Erased himself rather than have Neku die. But that was only so that Shibuya could be destroyed...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>7<strong>

* * *

><p>Neku couldn't stand Joshua. His snobbishness, the incurable giggle... The endless sarcasm, how he would always tease him... Neku could go on for years about everything he hated about Joshua. He hated him. But they shared ideals. They agreed that the world held nothing for them... But Joshua was wrong. The world was beautiful... It was wonderful. He had narrowed his world... The joy of the RG. That Joshua was going to destroy...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>6<strong>

* * *

><p>Joshua had betrayed him. Their Partnership had sent him into this third week. He had manipulated everything from the start. He had killed him to get into the game. Lied about himself to make a pact with Neku. They had allied on false grounds. And Neku couldn't trust him. He was the Composer, his ultimate enemy. He made Shiki stay in the UG, drive the Conductor to steal her as an Entry Fee... It was because of his twisted views that Rhyme was Erased... He had betrayed Neku.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>5<strong>

* * *

><p>Neku's finger curled around the trigger.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>4<strong>

* * *

><p>But Joshua was Neku's friend. He couldn't deny that. They knew each other, they trusted each other. They had been through the horrors of the Reaper's Game Together. Shared ramen, dire moments and unforgettable trauma. Neku couldn't forget that. Even if it was because of something twisted, Neku had become Joshua's friend...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

* * *

><p>But Joshua needed to go. He needed to live... To return to Shibuya with Shiki and Beat... To save Rhyme and keep his promise. Joshua had to die.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>2<strong>

* * *

><p>Neku looked up from the ground. Tears were around the brink of his eye. His finger was on the trigger and Joshua was poised to shoot.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>1<strong>

* * *

><p>Joshua was more than willing to kill him. But Neku had to save himself. Beat. Rhyme. Shiki. Shibuya... He had to kill Joshua... His friend, the one who had brought him to Beat, Rhyme and Shiki and tought him the wonders of Shibuya. His arms lowered, looking up at Joshua and smiling. A cold grin on the face of the silver-haired boy stared at him... Neku was only shocked as rage surged through him, powering him.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>0<strong>

* * *

><p>A single gunshot rang out. Orbs of blood flew through the air as a boy fell to the ground, bleeding. Neku was sprawled on the ground, looking up at Joshua. Tears pooled, mixing with his blood as he stared in shock at who had shot him.<p>

_I couldn't shoot a friend. I didn't. But... I've failed you. Beat, Rhyme, Shiki... Shibuya... I'm sorry._

Neku's eyes closed slowly, giving in to the death that was waiting him. And all went black. Neku felt nothing, weightless.

A giggle. Footstepts... A flutter...

Neku threw his eyes open and in the blinding light saw Joshua walking away, Mr. Hanekoma flying away with pearly white wings... And everything was black again.

_**Nothingness consumed him.**_

* * *

><p><strong>K<strong>iva : So guys, this is my first TWEWY fanfiction posted. Sorry if it's a bit boring and/or repetitive, it's a bit of a problem that I have with my writing style. The formatting with the bolding and the underlining seems a bit awkward to me, what do you guys think? So yeah. Please, write me a review.

_**;3**_


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